Terence Purcell, 51

Springfield, Illinois

Top Male overall time: 21:59:55

What made you want to try the National Senior Games? 

“Because I turned 50 last year, and I’m at an age where I’m proud of my age. I heard about the Illinois state senior games through Facebook, I did those and qualified for nationals.” 

How long have you been cycling? How’d you get started? 

“About four years. I used to be a champion stair climber, I was the world champion 24 years ago. It might sound strange, but when you’ve been in a sport a long time, as you get into your 40s and 50s, you’re not as fast as you were in your 20s and 30s, and it’s a little bit of a hit to your ego..[cycling] is a new sport, so I can excel at something else and try not focus on the fact that I’m getting older.”

Did you expect to win today? 

“…Because I had done well on the time trials on Wednesday and Thursday, I did have a plan to try and break away from the group. I knew I was racing against mostly the same people, I knew that I could power away from them. So I wasn’t expecting to win, but I had a plan that if I was able to get away, I was strong enough to stay away.”

Did you do any specific training for this race? 

“I’m riding six days a week, anywhere from 1-3 hours of training each day…I ride a lot on my gravel bike, which is heavier than my road bike and allows me to build a lot of strength. It also allows me to ride on not perfect roads.”

Elizabeth Foxx, 57

McLean, Virginia

Top Female Overall Time: 31:06:02

What made you want to try the National Senior Games? 

“I have a coach, Mark Holt, who has been doing this for many, many years. He got me trained up over the last couple years, with COVID and such this has been my new passion. He said, ‘this is your goal,’ and that’s how I ended up here.”

Did you expect to win today? 

“I always want to do my best, and you just don’t know. I’ve competed with a couple of these ladies a couple years ago when I first did a time trial in Florida, so I knew there were some good people out there. You never know!” 

How long have you been cycling? 

“I started cycling when I was a little over 40 to do triathlons. I did it as a “get back in shape” fitness goal after kids and career. I had a wreck and hurt my shoulder and couldn’t swim very well anymore. Someone steered me to cycling, and I love it.” 

How is the National Senior Games different from other races you attend? 

“It’s a lot bigger than a lot of the other races I’ve been in and just racing with different people. At home I know the people, I know the racers, so it’s been exciting to get to meet a bunch of new people from around the country.” 

Did you do any specific training for this race? 

“My coach has had me on a pretty strict training program. We’ve ridden for the last couple years, but since January we’ve been doing a structured training program with a few races thrown in there to help with the training process.”

In 2020 we introduced you to Oklahoma cyclist Simeon Gipson, who picked up cycling to work his way back to health and away from diabetes and who has become a role model in the Cherokee Nation. (Read his inspiring Personal Best story here.)

Since that time, Simeon was given a new racing bike by his son. Another Cherokee man, Brian Impson, had befriended Simeon but only had a leisure bike. They decided to gift Simeon’s old racing bike to Brian, and because of that he was able to qualify and compete in Time Trials at the 2022 Games. “It feels good to pay it forward,” he states.

Osiyo TV is a channel serving the Cherokee population and has a flagship feature program called Voices of the Cherokee People.The channel sent a crew to Florida to follow Simeon at The Games as part of an extended profile of the cyclist that will air early next year.

“Simeon is a great representative of the Cherokee Nation,” says Osiyo TV producer Colby Luper. “His journey through medical complications and doing things to help others find a healthier lifestyle is an important example to follow.”

The 76-year-old once again proved what he is made of during the race, and not because of his athletic effort. During Saturday’s 20K race a female cyclist took a spill. Simeon was not far behind her and instead of whizzing by to finish his race he stopped and stayed with her until help arrived.

Simeon was not upset about the time lost that moved him down the results list. “If you believe in humanity, you help people in need,” he quietly explains. If we gave gold medals for heart, Simeon would be atop the podium on this day.

Carrol “Blu” Walsh only discovered archery eight years ago, but the Charlotte resident has quickly become the best in his recurve barebow class in North Carolina senior play and has earned two bronze medals and been close to the podium in National Senior Games since 2013.

At 60 Blu found out about organized sports for seniors and tried different sports until he settled on archery. “It really appealed to me,” he says. “And once you buy your bow and arrows, you’re done.”

What if you lose an arrow? “I carry a metal detector with me. I can always find my arrows,” he says with a laugh.

Blu favors the simplicity of recurve barebow. “This style means you shoot with a bow that has no sights. It’s more of just me, the arrow and the bow. If you put a lot of sights and levels on it it’s more about the bow,” he explains. “This is more you against the target. You hit the target, you feel like you’ve accomplished something. That’s why I like this type.”

Expectations were not high for his 2022 performance because of three bouts with cancer over the past five years, and just a few weeks ago Blu broke four ribs and bruised his knee in a fall. “First time. I’ve never fallen before,” he says. “I know how to roll on my stomach going forward, but I fell straight back. I’m glad I could recover and make it to these Games.”

He thinks archery could be helping with his balance. “You’re concentrating on every aspect of how you stand, how you hold, how your back and shoulders move when you’re shooting. Balance is important.”

So why is he called Blu? “My first name (Carroll) is usually seen as a female name, so that’s always been something to deal with. I really like the color blue and I wear a lot of it when I compete, so the others started calling me Blu. I like it.”

By Vincent Pensabene

The New Jersey Diehards are the quintessential team to represent what the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana are all about. They are competing in their third consecutive Games playing men’s softball in the 75+ division. 

Al Cheli had no issue transitioning to a managerial position for this year’s event as he suffered an injury and was unable to compete. However, at home he manages six different teams in their league but the moral of the team is to just have fun. 

They may be a team, but they are really a group of friends that have gone back 30 years and are still playing for the love of the game. “We get breakfast together all the time,” Al says with an appreciative tone that confirms how close the teammates are with one another. “My wife passed away three years ago and the guys really helped me through everything.”

The oldest player on the team is Gene Stracco at 78 years old, and he has been a fixture in the Jersey softball league  for 45 years. He gave the biggest smile as he says, “You’re never too old to play and enjoy it while you can.”  The positive energy emanates from the dugout and they are thrilled to be playing a kid’s game in the 75 year old division. 

Al dictated a poetic masterpiece addressing the team before their first game of the tournament, telling them, “Move up on the plate, get your head out of your ass, and try to score one more run than them!” 

The New Jersey Diehards won the silver medal in the 70+ Division 2 Softball event in 2017 and finished in fifth in the 2019 Games in 70+ Division 2. The Diehards are a prime example of what being a member of the National Senior Games are all about.

To find out how the Diehards and the rest of the softball teams have done so far, check out results here.

Editor’s Note: Nick Gandy (on right with athlete Ed Soderberg) does an excellent job as the media director for the Florida Senior Games and was eager to contribute stories about “his people” to the Games Daily. Nick is your typical veteran sports writer, but he’s not burned out or  lost his passion for people nor the Games. I thought you would appreciate one of Nick’s recent Facebook posts about an athlete that reveals a little of that passion. – Del Moon

Facebook post 5/13/22

This guy, Ed Soderberg. What a goof. I saw the backwards hat among a group of runners and I knew it was him.

During our four-year Florida Senior Games run in Clearwater, Ed showed up in the Games Headquarters and asked, “Is this where I register for track and field?” I told him registration closed a couple weeks ago and the track and field meet was a couple of days away.

He informed me he had flown in from Connecticut to compete and what could we do to help him.  What was I going to do, send this guy packing? Of course, we pulled some strings to accommodate him and since then he has been one of my people. 

Ed was running in the 400 meter the other day and his form is still the same as it was four or five years ago.  He looks like he’s in pain and going to keel over any minute.  I was on the field taking photos of a Florida long jumper and saw him coming around the final turn, as the last runner of the heat.  I shouted out some words of encouragement and he looked over at me and raised his arms in appreciation.

During our time with Ed in Clearwater, we found out he is actually an accomplished nature and wildlife photographer.  We were shocked our goofy guy had such talent. You can Google him and find out.

As I was leaving the track and field facility, he came barreling past me with an impressive looking camera in his hands. He had proudly told me earlier his son was also running in the 400 meter run and he was making his way back to the track to shoot some photos of him.

Ed Soderberg typifies the Senior Games athlete.  He’s 80+ years old.  He shows up, does the best he can and makes friends while he’s doing all of that.  That qualifies him to be one of my people.